Page 76 of Seeking Evil

“What did you do?” Henry stared at the unconscious women on tables that matched the one in his basement and almost lost it. If he wrapped his fingers around T’s neck, death would take only a few minutes. He’d be doing the world a favor by putting a monster down.

“What you should have done before.” T stepped close to the first table set up inside the basement of T’s house, where Dawn was still unconscious. “Did you really think I didn’t know you hadn’t killed her? I overheard you speaking to Sierra about it before you destroyed the camera in the basement. Maggie made you soft. When I went up to the mountain near your mine, I spotted Dawn and Sierra escaping through the woods. I couldn’t let that happen, so I shot at them. Only I missed.” T smiled slowly. “It was pure luck when they wandered up to my house.”

T glanced down at Dawn. “Isn’t she perfect? She reminds me of Colleen.” T looked his way. “You remember her don’t you, Henry? You’re the reason she died.”

“That’s not true.” Henry had done everything in his power to protect his first love, Colleen, from T’s jealous rage. He thought he’d kept their relationship secret. But T had spotted them one night together and lost it.

“I turned Lindsey over to the police. I told her to tell them everything. The FBI and Sheriff Taylor will be here soon.”

“You fool!” T screamed and charged toward Henry with one of Henry’s tools. Henry clasped T’s hands together. It took all his strength to keep from being stabbed. The darkness was taking over more and more. The truth stared Henry in the face just as clearly as it had when this all began. He’d have to take care of T.

“Let me go,” T snarled. “I have more pretty girls to take care of. They deserve to die. They all do.”

T’s jealousy had been a problem for years. When they were kids, T resented anyone who laid claim to Henry’s affections.

Henry wrestled the scalpel out of T’s hand. “It’s over. It’s time to go to the police and tell them everything.”

“Never. I will never turn myself in.” T jerked away from Henry’s grasp. Henry followed. It was time. Time to put it down and beg God to forgive him for letting such a monster exist for so long.

T reached a set of shelves and grabbed something.

Before Henry knew what was happening, T pointed the handgun straight at him.

“No.” The words barely cleared Henry’s lips when the hot lead of the first bullet entered his body, striking his midsection.

Shock warred with pain. He couldn’t believe T shot him.

He dropped to his knees. He grabbed his midsection. Something warm covered his hand. Blood. He was bleeding out. T had done what Henry could not.

Henry fell forward. Someone screamed. He tried to hold onto consciousness, but it was a losing battle. His eyes slowly closed. The things around him faded. Maggie’s smiling face appeared through the cottony darkness. He smiled. “I’m coming, my love. I’m coming.”

*

The rubble that greeted them was the worst possible sight. There’d been several collapses. Could Sierra and Dawn have survived all of them?

“Where do these tunnels lead to?” Zeke turned to Patrick and waited while trying not to give into the panic spiraling inside him.

“The other side of the mountain. But I don’t see how anyone could have survived this.”

Patrick didn’t know Sierra. “Are there houses on the other side?”

Patrick eyed him before saying. “Yes, a few.”

“Then we start knocking on doors.” Zeke headed back to the cruiser.

After some heated words between Jack and Patrick, the sheriff gave in.

“I sure hope you’re right,” Patrick said quietly. “Believe me, the last thing I want to find out is that those two fought so hard to survive only to die in a blast.”

Zeke didn’t answer. He watched his side mirror as the fire site became distant.

Patrick turned off before they reached town and made a series of turns before telling them they were heading toward the back side of the mountain range. “There are about five houses this way. Most people don’t like to be bothered. Plenty are armed.”

“Let’s start at the one closest to where they might have crossed over.”

“That place is vacant,” Patrick told them. “Has been for years.”

Zeke looked his way. “Sounds like the perfect place for a killer to take his victims.”

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